Direct, purposeful experiences provide the foundation for learning and meaning-making. Such experiences involve the senses and allow learners to construct ideas and generalizations. While direct experiences are best, indirect experiences through observation, reading, or hearing about others' experiences can also promote learning. To maximize learning, teaching should provide opportunities for hands-on, immersive experiences and use of real materials to help students develop their senses and draw meaning from first-hand experiences.

1. Direct,Direct,
PurposefulPurposeful
ExperiencesExperiences
and Beyondand Beyond

2. ““From the richFrom the rich
experience that ourexperience that our
senses bring, wesenses bring, we
construct the ideas,construct the ideas,
the concepts, thethe concepts, the
generalizations thatgeneralizations that
give the meaninggive the meaning
and order to ourand order to our
lives”lives”

3. TESTIMONIALSTESTIMONIALS

4. ““The meanings ofThe meanings of
negative discriminationnegative discrimination
index and positiveindex and positive
discrimination indexdiscrimination index
became crystal clear to mebecame crystal clear to me
only when we did an itemonly when we did an item
analysis of our test itemsanalysis of our test items
-- Grade VI teacherGrade VI teacher

5. ““It was only
It was only
when I went to the
when I went to the
Manila Zoo that I
Manila Zoo that I
learned that a
learned that a
giraffe is that tall
giraffe is that tall
and an elephant is
and an elephant is
that big.”
that big.”
- Grade 4 pupil
- Grade 4 pupil

6. ““My husband and children used to do computerMy husband and children used to do computer
job for me which made me totally dependent on them.job for me which made me totally dependent on them.
The problem was they were not always around to helpThe problem was they were not always around to help
me with my reports, lecture notes, etc. To redeemme with my reports, lecture notes, etc. To redeem
myself from my helplessness, I forced myself to learn,myself from my helplessness, I forced myself to learn,
first of all encoding, then sending e-mail and surfing thefirst of all encoding, then sending e-mail and surfing the
internet. What encouraged me was my seven year oldinternet. What encouraged me was my seven year old
grand daughter could do what I was not capable ofgrand daughter could do what I was not capable of
doing. Now I feel liberated. I can encode and print mydoing. Now I feel liberated. I can encode and print my
lectures, send emails, surf the internet, and do powerlectures, send emails, surf the internet, and do power
point presentation, even when no one is around to helppoint presentation, even when no one is around to help
only after I had to do these things myself.”only after I had to do these things myself.”
-- Graduate School ProfessorGraduate School Professor

7. “My boss assigned me to put the
transparencies on the plate of the overhead
projector while he delivered his lecture on
stage. It turned out that the first transparency
was not positioned upright for the audience. I
repositioned the transparency but it was still
inverted. I felt nervous and the woman in the
audience who was seated nearby came to my
rescue. I have never forgotten that experience
but having been assigned the task repeatedly, I
can say I am now expert at the OHP.”
- Secretary to the
Dean

8. Direct, purposefulDirect, purposeful
experiences:experiences:
 Concrete and first handConcrete and first hand
experiences that makeexperiences that make
up the foundation of ourup the foundation of our
learning.learning.
 Rich experiences thatRich experiences that
our senses bring fromour senses bring from
which we construct thewhich we construct the
ideas, the concepts, theideas, the concepts, the
generalizations that givegeneralizations that give
meaning and order tomeaning and order to
our lives (Dale, 1969)our lives (Dale, 1969)
 Sensory experiences.Sensory experiences.

9. Example of directExample of direct
activities:activities:
Preparing mealsPreparing meals
Making a piece ofMaking a piece of
furniturefurniture
Performing aPerforming a
laboratorylaboratory
experimentexperiment
Delivering a speechDelivering a speech
Taking a tripTaking a trip

10. IndirectIndirect
Experiences:Experiences: Experience of otherExperience of other
people that we observe,people that we observe,
read or hear about.read or hear about.
 Not our ownNot our own
experiences, but stillexperiences, but still
experiences in the senseexperiences in the sense
that we see, read andthat we see, read and
hear about them.hear about them.
Not first hand but ratherNot first hand but rather
vicarious.vicarious.

11. Direct vs IndirectDirect vs Indirect
Climbing aClimbing a
mountain is directmountain is direct
experience, yetexperience, yet
seeing it on film orseeing it on film or
reading about it isreading about it is
a vicarious,a vicarious,
substitutesubstitute
experienceexperience

12. Direct experiencesDirect experiences
as Purposefulas Purposeful
 Experiences that areExperiences that are
internalized in the sense thatinternalized in the sense that
these experiences involve thethese experiences involve the
asking of questions that haveasking of questions that have
significance in the life of thesignificance in the life of the
person undergoing the directperson undergoing the direct
experience.experience.
 Experiences are undergone inExperiences are undergone in
relation to a purpose, i.e.relation to a purpose, i.e.
learninglearning
 It is done in relation to aIt is done in relation to a
certain learning objective.certain learning objective.

13. John Dewey has made hisJohn Dewey has made his
fundamental pointfundamental point
succinctly:succinctly:
““An ounce of experience is betterAn ounce of experience is better
than a ton of theory because it is only inthan a ton of theory because it is only in
experience that a theory has vital andexperience that a theory has vital and
verifiable significance.An experience,averifiable significance.An experience,a
very humble experience,is capable ofvery humble experience,is capable of
generating and carrying an amount ofgenerating and carrying an amount of
theory (or intellectual content),but atheory (or intellectual content),but a
theory apart from experience cannot betheory apart from experience cannot be
definitely grasped as a theory.It tends todefinitely grasped as a theory.It tends to
render thinking,or genuine theorizingrender thinking,or genuine theorizing
unnecessary and impossible”unnecessary and impossible”

14. If direct, purposeful experiences or first handIf direct, purposeful experiences or first hand
sensory experiences make us learn concepts andsensory experiences make us learn concepts and
skills effectively, what does this imply to theskills effectively, what does this imply to the
teaching- learning process?teaching- learning process?
1.1. Let us give our students opportunities to learn by doing.Let us give our students opportunities to learn by doing.
Let us immerse our students in the world of experienceLet us immerse our students in the world of experience
2.2. Let us make use of real things as instructional materialsLet us make use of real things as instructional materials
for as long as we canfor as long as we can
3.3. Let us help our students develop the five senses to theLet us help our students develop the five senses to the
full to heighten their sensitivity to the worldfull to heighten their sensitivity to the world
4.4. Let us guide our students so that they can draw meaningLet us guide our students so that they can draw meaning
from their first hand experiences and elevate their levelfrom their first hand experiences and elevate their level
of thinking.of thinking.